Two-Dimensional Vanadium Carbide (MXene) as a High-Capacity Cathode Material for Rechargeable Aluminum Batteries

Abstract

Rechargeable aluminum batteries (Al batteries) can potentially be safer, cheaper, and deliver higher energy densities than those of commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, due to the very high charge density of Al cations and their strong interactions with the host lattice, very few cathode materials are known to be able to reversibly intercalate these ions. Herein, a rechargeable Al battery based on a two-dimensional (2D) vanadium carbide (VCT) MXene cathode is reported. The reversible intercalation of Al cations between the MXene layers is suggested to be the mechanism for charge storage. It was found that the electrochemical performance could be significantly improved by converting multilayered VCT particles to few-layer sheets. With specific capacities of more than 300 mAh g at high discharge rates and relatively high discharge potentials, VCT MXene electrodes show one of the best performances among the reported cathode materials for Al batteries. This study can lead to foundations for the development of high-capacity and high energy density rechargeable Al batteries by showcasing the potential of a large family of intercalation-type cathode materials based on MXenes.

Graphene: A Cathode Material of Choice for Aluminum‐Ion Batteries

“…All types of graphene cathode show ad ischarge voltage approximately above 1.8 V( vs.A l), whereas rest of the cathodes display voltage below 1V (vs. Al). [67] Similar behaviors could also be observed for Ni 3 S 2 and CuS. [10,12,13,17,[64][65][66] Although MXene shows promise of displaying discharge plateau at 1V(vs.Al), the Coulombic efficiency (88 %) and capacity retention rate (62 %) are much inferior to graphene cathodes.…”

“…[67] Similar behaviors could also be observed for Ni 3 S 2 and CuS. [10,12,13,17,[64][65][66][67] Although it is reported that V 2 O 5 delivers specific capacity of 273 mAh g À1 ,i ti sb asically attributed to the side reactions. [37] None of the other cathodes could attain such high specific capacity nor sustain such high current rate.…”

“…[10,12,13,17,[64][65][66][67] Although it is reported that V 2 O 5 delivers specific capacity of 273 mAh g À1 ,i ti sb asically attributed to the side reactions. [10,12,13,17,[64][65][66][67] Of greater interest is the ultralong life of the Al-graphene cell with as urvival rate of aq uarter of am illion cycles with Coulombic efficiencya nd capacity retention above 97 %a nd 94 %, respectively. [36] In contrast, the maximum tolerance for current is 0.1 Ag À1 for the rest of the cathodes essentially signifying very low power output.…”

Halide‐Based Materials and Chemistry for Rechargeable Batteries

“…VahidMohammadi et al. recently reported another vanadium‐based compound of two‐dimensional vanadium carbide (MXene) for the storage of aluminum ions (Figure ) . The as‐prepared few‐layer V 2 CT x (TBAOH‐FL‐V 2 CT x ) electrode, which was expanded by tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, delivered a high average discharge voltage of more than 1.0 V and an exceptionally high reversible capacity of more than 300 mAh g −1 at a current density of 100 mA g −1 .…”

Halogenid‐basierte Materialien und Chemie für wiederaufladbare Batterien

“…VahidMohammadi et al. berichteten kürzlich von einem anderen Vanadium‐basierten Verbund von zweidimensionalem Vanadiumcarbid (MXene) für die Aluminiumionen‐Speicherung (Abbildung ) . Die zuvor präparierte V 2 CT x (TBAOH‐FL‐V 2 CT x )‐Elektrode, welche durch Tetrabutylammoniumhydroxid ausgeweitet wurde, lieferte eine hohe durchschnittliche Entladespannung von mehr als 1.0 V und eine außergewöhnlich hohe reversible Kapazität von über 300 mAh g −1 bei einer Stromdichte von 100 mA g −1 .…”